A debt advice charity has seen almost 16,500 people approach it this year with problems linked to payday loan debt – with more than 2,000 of them struggling with five of these loans or more.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) said it was on course to see a record number of people this year, having assisted almost 17,500 clients last year and just under 6,500 in 2009.

Such loans are intended as a short-term stop gap to tide people over for a few weeks but the charity said that 173 people it had seen this year had 10 or more of them.

The typical amount owed on payday loans has increased by almost a quarter in the last three years to reach £1,458, which is roughly equal to the monthly average income for a CCCS client.

The charity fears that the figures could climb higher still as hikes in fuel bills and food costs push more households towards seeking out "crocodile help".

Peter Tutton, the advice service's head of policy, said: "We would expect payday lenders to tell people there are better options rather than feeding into that and offering crocodile help. We need payday lenders to get on top of responsible lending."

Short-term lenders announced improved codes of practice in July which included commitments to stepping up transparency and carrying out affordability assessments to make sure people can pay back loans.

The charter was agreed by four trade associations representing more than 90pc of the payday and short-term loan industry and members must abide by the code or ultimately face expulsion. But consumer groups said the code was largely a rebrand of rules that have already been flouted and stricter action should follow if big improvements were not seen.

Firms have come under fire for giving people loans which turn out to be unaffordable, rolling over loans and charging annual interest rates running to several thousand per cent.

The sector was back in the spotlight this month when payday lender Wonga signed a four-year sponsorship deal with Newcastle United, a decision which was condemned by civic leaders and MPs and drew a mixed reaction from fans.

However, payday lenders have argued that they want to maintain high standards and the industry generally has been unfairly tarnished by a few rogue operators. They say most customers are satisfied they are getting good value for money.

Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association, one of the trade bodies which agreed to the code, said the CCCS's figures told only "part of the story".

He said: "It is important to highlight poor practice and we are working alongside the Government, regulators and consumer groups to drive up standards and protect consumers.

"CFA members adhere to the good practice customer charter and the industry's own codes of practice, which helps to set them apart from disreputable lenders by preventing debts building up and using affordability checks before approving loans.

"We limit the number of times a loan can be rolled over to three and most people who are allowed to extend their loan do so no more than twice."

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is carrying out a compliance review into payday lenders.